Joy to the World...at Last!, Part 2

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns a day is coming in the future when that song will have even greater significance. These lyrics joy to the earth. Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, Hills and Plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy for the coming kingdom is a time of joy. There will be joy to the world. Finally, the Bible speaks of a time to come in which Jesus will rule over this earth from the earth. Jesus will come again he will be physically present ruling his creation. That's a truly amazing thought were studying that period of time known as the millennial kingdom here on wisdom for the heart.

Stephen David began this message last time but didn't have time to complete its called joy to the world at last you're with us in our last discussion we began answering questions related to John's Revelation in chapter 20 regarding the millennial kingdom who will be the subjects in the coming kingdom very quickly. Daniel seven promises that Old Testament saints will reign in the kingdom.

The New Testament say to the church will also course rain we have here. Revelation 20 verses four and following 1/3 group that's the martyrs. Those who died during the tribulation. A resurrected, glorified, and they will also reign. The fourth category of the subject of the kingdom would be living mortals who survived the tribulation without dying.

They accepted the gospel they enter the kingdom in this way, let me summarize it this way give you two categories, then of people occupying the earth during the millennial kingdom. Those with glorified bodies will call them in the language of the apostle Paul in mortals and immortals, those with natural earthly bodies that the immortals are made up of three different categories of individuals. The first are Old Testament say to a resurrected rain. Daniel seven Daniel 12 they will include both Jewish and Gentile followers of God by faith in his plan of atonement in the Old Testament error look forward to the fulfillment of that one who dies the final sacrifice. Second to that you have the second category you have the New Testament believers clothes. Paul wrote in prescriptions 15 with immortality that would be you and me. The church today. By the way, is composed of Jews and Gentiles is not effective first church created by the spirit of God was primarily Jewish and all got started in what city Jerusalem like the prophets of all the 12 apostles were all Jewish men affect the great ambassador to the Gentile world is a converted Jewish rabbi name all and Paul will remind the Corinthian believers composed of Jew and Gentile converts that the church will one day he writes in verse 26 to be judging or ruling the world reference to the kingdom. The third group of immortals again are these tribulation martyrs known the other side of the column is the second category of kingdom subjects. They are the mortals they enter the kingdom having believe the gospel during the tribulation there still in their natural non-glorified earthly bodies, the ones they were born with.

They haven't died. They will become the population of the world and their children and their children's children will populate the earth over whom we the immortals will reign that according to the prophets. These mortals will marry, have children there in a flourish there can enjoy all of the king. The benefits their children will have to accept the gospel of Christ.

They will be sinners and there will be crime the good news is there's going to be a just system of jurisprudence. Nobody will be bribed. Everything will be honest because we will rain and we will rule over them but they will be sinners in need of salvation.

Just because their parents are confirmed, having believed in the tribulation going to the game that doesn't give them a free pass got doesn't have grandchildren, or great-grandchildren unite as people before. Are you a Christian will yeah my father was a preacher my actually a bad sign that evil to me and my grandfather was a preacher that doesn't.

I asked you are you say have you been born again of you personally receive the merits of Christ on your behalf and you asked him to forgive your sins. Without it you will not enter heaven. And certainly not the kingdom for that is an immortal one who will reign to these who grow up in the kingdom, and there will be probably several billion of them flourishing over this thousand year reign they will have to accept the grace of God through his atoning plan of salvation. David runs on 48 of this coming kingdom great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, his holy mountain. I noticed this beautiful in the elevation coming to a change beautiful and elevation. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great Kingston to David refers to it as God's mountain to an elevated place any references universal joy at the city you go all the way back to Abraham. We understand that these patriarchs and even before know Adam before, and were given relevant Revelation about the atonement system men and the kingdom so that Abraham way back there is waiting he's looking for this CD and it is in the Jerusalem that's that that you think of now.

It's a city made without human whose architect is God didn't exist yet in this fashion something different about its elevated it's magnificent is divinely designed and created by God's own power, which leads me to another question. What will Jerusalem. What will this capital city look like one author in his work on the millennial kingdom refers to all the prophecies that allow us to understand the topographical changes are going to take place it at the end of of the bowls.

As Christ returns. We've already studied in a so and we went on repeated but but the changes of the Earth's surface that are going to take us back to Eden like condition. Listen to Zachariah describe Jerusalem and surrounding area. He says in Zechariah 1410. All the land will be changed into a plain level south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site. It's is learning, and the elevated what exactly he says from Benjamin's gate as far as the place of the first gate of the Kornegay from the tower handed out to the Kings wine presses towards Jerusalem proper inside the city walls. Then Zachariah adds they will live in it and there will no longer be a curse for Jerusalem will dwell in security and peace. So I think should the city will be inhabited on its ancient site and it will be dated with this attribute that we know it does not have peace, security, prayer request of the Jewish nation for centuries has been pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace will genuinely and finally come to pass in the millennial kingdom as as Christ rules on planet Earth and NBI around the globe marked by this wonderful rule of our Lord who rules the nations our world does not know security or peace talks about. It talks about it more and more as time goes along.

It attempts to find it and that that's a noble objective, but our world is in the P spec that I laughed when I read one author.

He said whatever he hears of someone being arrested for disturbing the peace. He wonders where the guy found some of it.

Where did he find peace to disturb the peace will one day come when the Prince of peace come that a prophet informs us that the Lord will make the wilderness like him to Eden is a 51 three her deserts like the garden of the Lord joy and gladness begin have joy found therein Thanksgiving and the voice of melody or literally music that all the topographical changes around the globe are specifically formulated to create a high mountain or plateau upon which Jerusalem sits and commands with this rather commanding view only from it, but to it in Ezekiel's vision, Chapter 40 verse two God takes them to the land of Israel, and set Ezekiel on a very high mountain and to the south. He says there was a structure like a city that we can only imagine what the Golden city will look like the place where we will have residents as immortals and from there go out and serve the Lord wherever he puts us somewhere on the planet there.

Many scholars believe this capital city will actually hover above the earthly Jerusalem during the kingdom and then come down after the new earth and heaven are created. Other scholars believe is divinely created capital city is enclosed. Golden Palace, so to speak is planted on this high plateau, which would then correspond with the need for the elevation of the city during the kingdom. Either way, it's a win-win. Every immortal will have at least two residences every one of us who believe will have a residence inside this city of God, and another residence wherever God has a serving as co-regents with with Christ overworking to have a place in their what Christ refers to. I believe in John 14 as the father's house were told it in the father's house are many Monet translated in the King James mansions NASB dwelling places or rooms.

We need to get the idea that our minds and we got this big palace and 40 acres and then we had another mansion and 40 acres and he wondered how close should be to God, and in if you're like me you think I'm in a beat like in China so far away will be right know were all in the father's house, and we have a dwelling place.

There I believe it's this Golden city.

I think there's a good reason for holding to this ziggurat view the step pyramid view by the way, we don't know there's one rather thin reference where refers to the steps of God's creation that may refer to this not enough to be certain, but let me take you back in time and why believe it is if you just go back and you watch what mankind does. Having the truth of God written on their heart to go all the way back to the beginning days of Genesis chapter 11, where you have this man rebel. Having heard, I believe, like Abraham and others of the coming city.

He rebels and what is he do he builds Nimrod does his own city and he builds this ziggurat and at the top level.

There is, what will become the zodiac.

Even unbelievers trace the development of the of this false religion back to Babylon we we refer to the tower of what Babel and the confusion that came because of God's judgment so you have you have mankind building of this ziggurat, and at the top level instead of it being the throne of God, which will be the future city of God, you have the zodiac you have you have symbols and we discovered many of them going back centuries, you have the symbols of the zodiac, meaning that the very top is their worship not of creator God, but a lot creation, which is a perfect fulfillment of Romans chapter 1 that unbelieving man resist the truth of God and he worships creation rather than creator God. So when Nimrod rebelled against God. He built a city and a tower pyramid is ziggurat is top represented the heavens, which he worshiped all those with him.

Let me ask and answer another question. What will our worship system be like for us and for the mortals over which we rule will tabulate large communion as immortals will be face-to-face with Christ. It will be intimate physical. That's why John in chapter 20 of Revelation and in the verse six says it will be priests of God in Christ and in ours or nobody in between in and that'll be so much more wonderful than what we have now because with us. Our faith is without things being seen right will have things to see and will have the face of Christ to see as well. Ezekiel informs us of the millennial Temple located on this raised plateau that holy allotment Ezekiel talks about which varying degrees of the size of any on the commentator of the scholar anywhere from 37 mi.² to 50 mi.² on that holy allotment you have this Golden city. You have dwelling places for the priests who will serve in the millennial Temple in the millennial Temple will be in the very center of this holy allotment Temple will be the central piece in the worship of God throughout the millennial kingdom now in this particular sketch. You can see a portion of this plateau is realistically depending on the imaginations you get this 37 mi.² region which will include our dwelling place inside the city of God to the left of the picture you can see little Golden orb that represents to scale as best as it can be rendered. The millennial Temple.

By the way, this view here is stunning. Isn't it as you consider just the scale of the Golden city. Revelation chapter 21 verse 16 gives us the measurements and many believe that the measurement is actually a cubed measurement, which would mean that the Golden palace, the city, there would stretch some 11 miles high.

Maybe in the future, we get to heaven. I mean the our study of heaven. I'll show you picture that shows this Golden palace is at work compared to Mount Everest. Mount Everest looks like just a little.pretty amazing well the prophet Isaiah mentions that in the city of Jerusalem rendered in this sketch there will be this unique feature to that area were at night the cloud canopy over the city without the appearance of fire. In other words, in the city, both in the kingdom and throughout the new heaven and earth curtain of glory and light will never close is a chapter 4 verses five and six. This particular sketch shows Jerusalem at night in the kingdom. Now Ezekiel informs us that the millennial Temple in the temple worship system will reinstate animal sacrifices that blend in certain aspects of leaving the church age. Animal sacrifices will be reinstated as memorials to the sacrificial death of of our great king. There gonna be a wonderful lesson a memorial to teach and read teach to all of those generations that are born and grow up in the millennial kingdom that I need to hear the gospel.

What better way than to reinstate the sacrifices and teach them what author I provoke my thinking when he said how needful these sacrifices will be imagined. You are born and you grow up you dwell in the blaze of messiahs glorious throne. How needful to have ever before you some memorial of the cross some tangible record of the humble old Jesus some visible demonstration of his sin bearing work by which you have been forgiven, saved, and all of all those generations who populate the earth, will all of their blessedness to the plan of salvation and the grace of God. So the millennial kingdom and ladies and gentlemen are is gonna require teaching, teaching the exposition of Scripture it's going to require that mortals come to believe in the gospel could also be trained in God until other mortals right of the truth of what exactly this kingdom represents and that there is a coming judgment. You will be able to deliver the same message that judgment will be the final judgment. The great white throne in the next few verses of the same chapter, I need to be saved, so perhaps teaching stations will explode around the globe as mortals are taught the truth is, and they train and they teach the truths to others. One more question. Briefly, what will we do throughout the kingdom. What will we as immortals as co-regents do. And the reason I can be brief is because we have been given much now have a verse on this, but I'm pretty sure that that will all be smiling a lot for you to be incredibly blessed and I think when you pinch ourselves. I think we can say how to think that I'm here the sun. Do you ladies in her 90s with her hand arm through the arm of gals taken her Sunday school class.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. She said to think that I'm going to be able to be there is an amazing thought that's that's spiritual maturity not okay where's my throne, my no.

You mean I get to be here through faith in Christ, my Redeemer, who now sits enthroned while praise God. No wonder, joy.

Keep showing up joy throughout the kingdom.

So when I told but since I'm your pastor and I get paid to use my imagination. I've come up with a few things to suggest some things to you. Maybe for one of you or many of you, it could be some educational post of leadership as immortals strategize to deliver the truth to and through the mortals. All of the millions who need to hear the truth about this king press for you. It could be a cabinet position or some political rule of the city or state or country. Perhaps it could be some kind of leadership in the system of of law, there will be crime there will be sin. There will be a population to control with grace and dignity and balance and honesty. No more bribing no more. Let me give you a free pass here no more.

I know you. It'll be perfectly just. Perhaps you be involved in that system maybe for for one of you are more it will be an agricultural post of of some high level of decision-making in order to ensure that the resources of of earth are managed with beauty and dignity, balance, distribution maybe for you could meet the highest level of financial stewardship.

Imagine the monetary oversight it's going to be needed as the nations of the world flourish for a thousand years went with the justice system, with an honest government with righteous jurisprudence. Can you imagine how the economies of the world will flourish.

Can you imagine the inventions of the world. I note to inventors and both of them invented a product and they spent years doing on having to go to court to keep because somebody lied and said it was theirs. Maybe for some of you it could be the highest seat of some judicial bench as nations have to get along. The prophets indicate or imply that the nations will have to have things resolved.

Maybe the resolution will come from you. Maybe you have a achieve position and some musical Academy for the composition of new music to be sung in the Golden city we've been told that there will be music there. All of the above, I believe, are not only possible, but they are only the beginning of positions matched with royalty and dignity and authority and effectiveness in and fruit and wisdom men and balance and joy. Isaiah 51, three is a text of art referred to Bellamy read it again. He refers to Zion in the region around her wilderness. He will make like Eden or desert like the garden of the Lord joy and gladness will be found in her Thanksgiving and the sounds of music Isaac Watts by the way, try to capture the truth of the kingdom and the joy related to the kingdom by composing up to him. He actually took the music of Handel same who wrote what we know as of Handel's Messiah. There's a brief phrase and that him let every heart prepare him room that immediately the church took and said okay that's Christmas he wasn't writing about the first coming he was writing about the second coming, and I think you be a little surprised and disappointed to find a way only sing it one or two weeks out of the year, he's referring to the second coming of Christ. Listen to some of the lyrics joy to the world, the Lord is what, let Earth receive her what her king listen to these lyrics another stanza joy to the earth joining the earth, the Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, Hills and Plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy is another.

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love. What a great him for the coming kingdom. It is a time of joy. There will be joy to the world. Finally will be joy on the planet. At the last is the knowledge of our God covers the earth when the waters of the sea wonder. Isaiah says it will be time to time joy melody.

We will sing the glories of his righteousness, and the wonders of that was Stephen Davey in a message called joy to the world at last it comes from his series on of Revelation called thy kingdom come, will be bringing you the rest of this series. In the days ahead during the month of May.

We have a free resource to celebrate and encourage mothers. Stephen has a booklet called motherhood in a variety of settings. There are several things that are true of mothers. Mothers are consistently underpaid, often undervalued and many times taken for granted. Mothers are the ones their children call for when they're sick once you're a mother you'll never not be a mother ever again. You're in this for life and your giving it just that your life you're not alone. In fact, God has delivered some encouraging truths, especially for moms, those truths are revealed in the home life of a mother named Eunice. This is a free digital download that you can access from our website go to wisdom online.org for information is a link on the homepage that will direct.

We do have a print version of this booklet as well with the e-book is free today. It is available@wisdomonline.org thanks for joining us today. I hope you will be with us for our next Bible lesson right here on wisdom for the heart